Miniature gimbal mounted magnetic field detectors

The compass system defined in claim I or 2 wherein said circuit conductor means further comprise,

• electrically conducting leaf spring blades contacting respective ends of the pivot shafts biasing the electronic circuit assembly to resist movements of the center of mass in the gimbal ring.

The compass system of claim I or 2 further comprising a substantially cylindrical outer gimbal ring assembly of a diameter less than 2 cm and a length less than 3.8 cm.

In an electronic magnetic compass system having electronic magnetic field detection means mounted in a gimbal ring assembly and biased by a pendulum swinging about an axis of rotation to position the detection means in a known position related to gravity, said pendulum comprising a central portion and two flanking portions meeting along respective interfaces lying in planes angularly disposed to intersect said axis of rotation, said central portion further having a curved lower surface substantially shaped with a spherical surface, and said flanking portions having lower surfaces substantially shaped with cylindrical surfaces, and wherein the lower surfaces of said flanking portions and said central portion are continuous.

In an electronic magnetic compass system having electronic magnetic field detection means carried by an assembly mounted rotatably in a gimbal ring assembly by means of rotatable shaft ends journalled in one gimbal ring, and comprising leaf springs biasing the shaft ends to resist movement of the mass of said electronic detection means axially along the shaft, the improvement comprising a shaft of a length extending between journalled positions in said gimbal ring affixed near opposite ends to an electrically insulating substrate holding said detection means with a portion of the shaft removed after affixing the shaft to the substrate to assure axial alignment of the two shaft ends.

In a three-dimensional position detection instrument for detecting a position related to the surface of the earth having a pendulum reference biasing member mounted in a gimbal assembly, the improvement comprising:

• a pendulum having a continuous bottom surface comprising a curved spherical central bottom surface portion about an axis of pendulum rotation and a pair of flanking cylindrical bottom surface portions, the flanking portions meeting the central portion along planes intersecting at the pendulum axis of rotation.

In a three dimensional position detection instrument for detecting a position related to the surface of the earth having a pendulum reference biasing member mounted in a gimbal assembly, the improvement comprising:

• a gimbal ring, an electronic detector circuit assembly mounted on a substrate carried for movement in said gimbal ring by a shaft journalled for rotation therein, said shaft comprising two shaft ends electrically insulated from each other and consisting of electrical circuit connector means for carrying detected signals externally from said circuit assembly.